Various communication systems provide for information communication over respective communication paths. For example and without limitation, characteristics of various information communication paths may comprise various specific communication networks or combinations thereof (e.g., company LAN, Internet, home PAN, etc.), various communication network types (e.g., telecommunication, computer, television, etc.), various communication media (e.g., wired, wireless, tethered optical, non-tethered optical), various communication infrastructure, various signal propagation paths, etc.
Communicating information over various communication paths may correspond to utilizing varying respective amounts of energy. Such energy may, for example, be utilized directly for information transmission or in related signal processing activities. In an exemplary scenario, two information communication paths may correspond to transmitting information at identical transmission power levels, but may correspond to utilizing substantially different amounts of energy for communicating information. Overall energy consumption corresponding to a communication path may depend on any of a variety of factors, including but not limited to, transmission power, data rate, signal processing amount, signal processing speed, total amount of data, quality goals, communication environment characteristics, data retransmission activity, etc.
Various communication systems have relatively finite energy supplies. For example, various communication systems may receive operational energy from batteries. Such communication systems may also have static or dynamic communication quality constraints. In various scenarios, energy utilization and communication quality may be adversely related.